Cameron Earnest
ENG 202A
Interview Assignment
April 2, 2015
The Other Side
I prepared myself for another three to eleven shift with the Patton Township Police
Department in hopes of conducting a few interviews. There were six officers and a sergeant on
duty, but they were in the middle of a shift change, and three of the officers were leaving. My
goal was to interview all four officers who were working at the time, but that proposed a difficult
task. The day was already busy and full of activity. After a few interactions with the department,
I was planning to interview three main people. One was Sergeant Jolley, a chipper man who was
always smiling. The second was Officer Tuskovich who was a very large, intimidating man, and
finally there was Officer Rob Carter. He was a stout man, who I have spent most of my time
with, while going to the department.
As Officer Rob Carter opened the thick, metal door, I could see the police officers
buzzing around the headquarters. I instantly knew that it was a busy day for the Patton Township
Police Department, and that conducting interviews would be a challenge. I had already
predetermined who I was going to interview, because Officer Carter informed me who would be
available. The toughest part was trying to find some down time in the officer’s work day to ask
them some questions. I was completing another ride along with Officer Carter, so I could
interview him while we were in the field. Sergeant Jolley and I interacted inside of the
department more than outside, so I asked permission to interview him and one other officer. His
response was, “Yeah Cam, no problem at all. Just know it’ll be a challenge since we’re pretty
busy today, but we’ll make sure you get the info you need.” I was utterly shocked by how
adaptive he was to my task. He was filling out some paperwork in his simplistic office, so I took
the time to interview him on the spot. White walls, brown carpet, a filing cabinet, and two desks
with computers were all that occupied the spacious office. I have been in that office multiple
times, but it still puzzled me. I was expecting the office to be more high-tech, interactive, and
expressing of Sergeant Jolley, but the only representation of him was a small picture of himself
with a deer he shot that hung beside his desk.
What are police officers mentality?
Are they out to get everyone?
Do they have quotas?
How do you think recent events such as Ferguson have effected your job?
What made you want to become a cop?
Who do you spend time with outside of work?
Do you fear that you will be targeted for racism?
Do you constantly worry about violent offenders?
What do you do when you lose your patience/temper with a disobedient person?
Do you believe that the media portrays police in a negative way?
What is the Patton Township police department’s relationship with the community?
How much criticism/scrutiny do you receive from the public?
Some interview questions in hopes of discovering a department and its officer’s demeanor, and
how the outside world effects them?